This invention relates to ingredients for explosive compositions. In particular, this invention relates to an ingredient with a useful particle size and a safe method for its production.
Various ingredients are used in the formulation of explosive compositions. Ethylenediamine dinitrate (EDDN) is one such ingredient. In large scale production, it is currently prepared by the addition of concentrated nitric acid to a solution of ethylenediamine in cold methanol or ethanol, or by addition of concentrated nitric acid to a solution of ethylenediamine in a cold methanol/water or ethanol/water mixture. The ethylenediamine used in the process is well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,758 to Akst, et al., at column 1, lines 10 through 12, discloses the use of ethylenediamine and nitric acid in a conventional process of producing EDDN.
A persistent problem with these procedures are the significant exotherms observed during the nitric acid addition. These exotherms promote the formation in the vapor phase of the volatile, highly hazardous methyl nitrate or ethyl nitrate by the reaction of methanol or ethanol with nitric acid. The likelihood of such a hazardous situation occurring increases in the event of a runaway reaction and also increases when production of EDDN is scaled up, as large quantities of the methyl and ethyl nitrate vapors can concentrate by condensing on cold process surfaces.
An additional problem of the above described manufacturing technique is that it produces crystalline EDDN with a large, 150 micron average particle size. This particle size is too large for many explosive applications, requiring grinding of the EDDN or similar operations before the material can be used, creating another hazardous situation.